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To Catch A Predator
To Catch a Predator is a reality television show that featured a series of hidden camera investigations by the television news-magazine Dateline NBC devoted to the subject of identifying and detaining those who contact people they believe to be below the age of consent over the Internet for sexual liaisons. Men are lured to meet with a decoy under the pretense of sexual contact. The investigations, many of which have been reported by Dateline correspondent Chris Hansen and producer Lynn Keller, are conducted as an undercover sting operation with the help of online watchdog group Perverted-Justice. Since the third installment, law enforcement and other officials have also been involved in the operation, leading to the arrests of most individuals caught in the sting. In an interview with NPR's Neal Conan on Talk of the Nation, Chris Hansen emphasizes that the subjects of his program should be labeled as sexual predators: "We don't label these guys as pedophiles. Pedophiles have a very specific definition, people who are interested in prepubescent sex. What we're talking about here are potential predators." Method The method that was used to catch would-be sex offenders is derived from that normally used by Perverted-Justice. Perverted-Justice volunteers build profiles of clearly underage individuals on social networking websites, and enter chatrooms as decoys. They wait for an adult to message or email the decoy and begin a dialogue. If the conversation turns sexual in nature (the content in question preferably initiated by the adult), the decoy will not discourage this, nor outright encourage it. This also can help the Perverted-Justice team in collecting incriminating evidence against the alleged offender. Such evidence could include engaging in sexual conversations, sending the decoy pornography or child pornography, and committing other acts. The visitors are, eventually, subsequently led to believe that the supposed minor is home alone, and come inside the house in question seeking sexual activity from the decoy. Soon after meeting the decoy, they are confronted by Hansen when the decoy leaves the room. Hansen attempts to interview each one at length about their intentions, whereupon the predators in question are free to make the choice to refuse to respond. Some exit the home immediately upon seeing Hansen, because they recognize that he is clearly not a teenager, or they have seen him in previous Dateline investigations. Hansen, without initially identifying himself, interviews the predators about their intentions, and also reads aloud some of the graphic portions of the chat to inform the predators that the logs were indeed recorded. Those who have not seen Hansen's Dateline investigations before often assume that he is either the child's father or a member of a law enforcement agency. After a few minutes of questioning, Hansen identifies himself as a Dateline NBC correspondent and informs the visitor that the entire interview has been recorded on hidden camera as part of the Dateline NBC story. Then, Dateline crew members with large cameras and microphones reveal themselves, and the predator is offered a chance to make a final statement before being asked to leave. The first two investigations did not include law enforcement officers on site, and individuals caught in the sting were allowed to leave voluntarily, though Dateline would provide all video and transcripts to law enforcement and suspects would eventually be arrested. Arrests are sometimes made in a dramatic fashion by multiple officers who, with tasers drawn, ambush the suspect and command him to lie face-down on the ground before being handcuffed. In the Fort Myers investigation, a police officer in camouflage sometimes arrested the predators as they left the sting house. Tasers are sometimes shown being used to subdue fleeing or unresponsive individuals. During interviews, suspects often claim not to have any idea how old the supposed minor is, even when confronted by Hansen with chat logs showing the decoy clearly identifying him or herself as a minor. In many jurisdictions, online solicitation with the belief that the other person is a minor is a crime, regardless of whether the other person actually is a minor. Current Status The show's production was the canceled since late 2008. The reruns are sometimes shown on MSNBC. In addition, a special series called Predator Raw: The Unseen Tapes airs on MSNBC, and it features Chris Hansen sharing his reactions on meeting with the potential sex predators and providing more information on them. The series also features never-before-seen footages. On July 2009, Hansen posted a status on his Facebook, the most popular social networking website, declaring that other projects are being worked on and eventually the investigations would be looked at again soon. Category:Introduction